A Way to Heal
by Kristen3
Summary: Sequel/companion to "Cheerful,' by Theinsanefangirl. In the aftermath of her near sexual assault, Niles wants nothing more than to offer Daphne support as she recovers. Luckily, love can work miracles sometimes. One-shot,written by author's permission. Rating is for minor adult themes.


**Author's Note: **I am constantly amazed by the level of talent on this site (in this category _and _others!). And of course it takes almost nothing for me to get a story idea, so I'm very grateful that Rose (Theinsanefangirl) gave me permission to write a sequel to her wonderful story, "Cheerful." While I highly recommend reading the original, I believe I've included enough backstory here to allow it to be read on its own. Thanks for reading, and reviews are always appreciated! :)

Niles still couldn't get yesterday's events out of his mind as he stood outside Frasier's door. A man had lured Daphne into an alley and sexually assaulted her. But Daphne was a fighter, and she'd managed to escape, thank God. When she'd shown up at the Montana in a state of panic, Niles did all he could to comfort her. But just moments later, the man began banging on Niles' door. The police were called, and the attacker was arrested. In a rage over what had been done to his beloved Daphne, Niles punched the criminal. Fortunately, because he was the son of a cop, the police had no intentions of pressing charges.

Once Daphne had calmed down from her ordeal, she decided to go back home. Niles offered to let her stay the night, but she wanted her own bed. So Niles was here now, wondering how she was.

"Hello, Dr. Crane." Daphne managed a small smile as she opened the door.

The look on her face broke Niles' heart. "How did you sleep?"

"Not very well, I'm afraid. But your brother stayed up and talked with me for most of the night. He's asleep now."

Niles was grateful that his brother had understood that this situation was far more important than the sleep he'd miss. "I'm so glad, Daphne. You deserve to feel safe."

Daphne nodded. "Your brother said the most important thing for me to do is to be around people who love me."

Yet again, Niles was amazed at his elder brother's wisdom. "Would you like to take a walk with me?"

A look of uncertainty appeared on her face. The last time she'd been walking the streets of Seattle, she was attacked.

"I promise we'll turn back the moment you feel afraid. I've never been a very brave man, but you saw what I did yesterday. I would do it again in an instant, if it meant keeping you safe."

Daphne smiled then. "Thank you." She slipped her hand into his.

Niles watched her with concern as they made their way downstairs and out to the sidewalk. It was a relatively sunny day, at least by Seattle standards. Soon Daphne began to relax a bit.

"Have you heard anything more from the police?"

Daphne shook her head. "But your father's been on the phone with them on and off since last night. That man isn't going to get out of prison for a very long time."

Niles nodded his agreement. He'd heard stories of what went on in prisons. A small part of him hoped the man would suffer for what he'd done. They walked on in silence for a few moments. Niles knew she hadn't totally healed yet. She might not have been hurt physically, but not all wounds could be seen. He knew the only way to help her was to give her time and support. Niles wanted nothing more than for her to be happy again. "Daphne, I need to tell you something."

She stopped walking and turned to face him. "What is it?"

"When I heard what that man did to you yesterday, I was so angry. Why would someone want to hurt you like that?"

"Your brother told me that I can't spend the rest of me life asking meself 'Why?' There just is no answer, Dr. Crane. The important thing is that I got away, and my attacker is behind bars. It won't be easy, but I'll get on with me life eventually."

"I'm glad, Daphne. I want to help you. I know this may not be the time or place for me to say this, but I love you. I don't want anything from you. You don't even need to give me an answer now. I just want you to know. Because Frasier was right, you do need people who love you. I know that he and Dad care for you a great deal. But, Daphne, they don't love you the way I do."

"Do they know...how you feel about me?" Daphne was more than a little stunned. She hadn't seen this coming at all.

Niles nodded. "They haven't always been supportive, but they know. I just thought I should tell you, in case you felt like you had nowhere to turn. Because I'm here, Daphne, and I always will be."

Daphne thought back to last night. She'd poured her heart out to the most famous shrink in Seattle. True to his slogan, he'd listened to her fears without judgment. One of the things on her mind had been the question of dating. How could she ever trust a man again? And would a man even look at her the same way? Though the attack hadn't gotten far, she still felt marked somehow. But now, as she looked into the younger Dr. Crane's eyes, she saw that she had nothing to fear. Of course she could trust a man. Or, at least, she could trust the one in front of her right now. Suddenly, she leaned forward and kissed him.

The feeling of Daphne's lips on his took him by surprise. He drew back, bewildered. "Why did you do that?"

She smiled. "Because you've always been such a good friend, and you were right there when I needed you. Even when I was scared out of me wits, you made me feel safe. So how can I not love you?"

Niles breathed in. "Oh, Daphne." He reached out to touch her cheek. He almost hesitated, knowing she might be afraid. But she did not stop him. Feeling more bold now, he kissed her. He found that he didn't want to stop, and for several moments, he stopped thinking, and merely went with it. Gradually, he came back to his senses. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Just because I was attacked doesn't mean I get scared every time someone touches me. I know you'd never hurt me, Niles." She smiled at him, fully aware that this was the first time she'd ever addressed him by name.

"I wish this hadn't happened to you. I'd undo it if I could. But, since I can't, I'll do my very best to make the rest of your life full of nothing but love and joy. Would you allow me to do that?" He took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it.

Daphne nodded. This whole turn of events was beyond remarkable. Last night had felt like one of the worst in her life. But now, she was on top of the world, and there was a simple explanation for it: Under the right circumstances, love can overcome just about anything.

**The End**


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